Refrigerating apparatus



Dec. 2, 1941. w. E. JOHNSON 2,264,847

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Ma 10, 1939 7 Figl.

Fig. Z.

Inventor:

Wilfrid E Johnson,

His Attorney.

Patented Dec. 2, 1941 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS v Wilfrid E. Johnson, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 10, 1939, Serial No. 272,853

4 Claims.

My invention relates to motor compressors and more particularly to sealed motor compressor units for use with refrigerating apparatus.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved motor compressor unit of the sealed type which is rugged in construction, compact and simple in arrangement, and eflicient in operation.

With'apparatus of this type the lubricant used for lubricating the shaft operatively connecting the driving motor and the compressor leaks from the end bearing of the motor into the motor compartment. This action serves to deplete the supply of lubricant available for lubricating the 'compressor and if the level of lubricant in the motor compartment is permitted to reach the level of the air gap excessive power losses result. Hence, it is a further object of my invention to provide new and improved means for returning the lubricant from the motor compartment to the compressor chamber.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. -l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of-a motor compressor unit embodying the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is apartial sectional view of a modification of the motor compressor unit shown in'Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the modified form of my invention shown in Fig. 2 taken along the line 34 um. 2.

With particular reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing I have shown a motor compressor unit having a casing ll divided into a motor compartment I I and a compressor compartment or chamber l2 by a partition l3. A rotatable shaft II is carried by the partition I3 and operatively connects the motor l5 and the compressor I i. In order to return the lubricant which leaks past the bearings I1 and Ila into the motor compartment II to the compressor compartment I2, I have provided a deflector l3 arranged to rotate with the shaft ll. In order to minimize the amount of lubricant thrown from the deflector in a sidewise direction I have provided the rim IQ of the deflector II with an inturned' portion or lip 23. I have also provided a plurality of openings 2| in the rim l3 of the deflector I3.

In operation, lubricant leaking through the bearings l1 and Ila will flow into the deflector l8. Due to the presence of the lip 20 lubricant cannot be thrown oif the edge of the deflector l8 but because of the holes or openings 2! the centrifugal force set up by the rotation of deflector l8 the lubricant will be forced through the openings 2| and thrown from the deflector l8 against the walls of the casing Ill. By making the openings relatively small in size the oil that is picked up in the lip cannot escape immediately so that a large portion of it is retained in the groove 50 formed at the edge of the deflector until the openings 2| reach the upper portion of their travel thereby insuring that most of the lubricant will be thrown against the upper portion of the casing l0 where it can drain into reservoir 22 located in the boss 23 formed in partition i3.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, a cylinder 24 is formed in the cylinder block 25 which may be integral with the casing I 0. I have also provided a cylinder head 26 exterior of the casing l0 secured to the casing ID in some suitable manner as by means of threaded bolts 21 arranged to engage suitable tapped holes 28 in the cylinder block 25. Any suitable arrangement of intake and exhaust valves and inlet and exhaust chamber for the medium to be compressed may be employed. Inasmuch as the arrangement does not form part of my invention, details have not been illustrated. Although a single cylinder has been illustrated, my invention is equally applicable to multi-cyiinder compressors.

In order to compress the working fluid I have provided a piston 29 adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder 24. The driving mechanism for the piston 29 comprises a crank pin 30 and a connecting rod 3|. The crank pin 30 is driven from the rotatable shaft I4 which turns in central bearings I1 and 11a suitably retained in the boss 23 of the partition l3. In order to balance the compressor, I have provided counter-weights 32 and 33. I may attach to either or both of "the counterweights '32 and 33 oil dippers (not shown) to throw the lubricant against the upper portion of the compressor chamber [2 for lubricating the piston 23 and supplying lubricant for lubricating the shaft H. In some cases the oil dippers may be omitted and the splashing created by the counter-weights 32 and 33 may be suflicient for the lubricating purpose. I

The motor chamber II houses a motor [5 having a stator element 34 suitably secured to a sleeve 35 which in turn is suitably arranged in the casing Ill. The motor I! is also provided with a rotor element 36 secured to the shaft l4. Lead wires 31, one of which is illustrated, for the motor I5 are brought into the motor compartment II through a suitable seal 38. The end plate 39 is provided to closethe open end of the casing /IO and is drawn tothe casing III by means of threaded bolts 4| engaging suitable tapped holes 42 in 'casing It. a gasket 40 being provided to seal the space between end plate 39 and casing III.

In order to lubricate the shaft ,1 have provided a pocket or reservoir 22 in the partition I3 of the casing III. As'shown in Fig.1, this reservoir extends on both sides ofthe partition I3.

A passage extends through the boss 23 and communicates between the reservoir 22 and a suitable opening 45 in the bearing I1. I have provided a second passage 45 inthe boss 23 comvention, although it is desirable to provide some sort of obstruction at-the edge or rim of deflector plate I8 to retain the lubricant on deflector I8 long enough to insure that the lubricant passing the openings 2| will be thrown against the uppe portions of the casing III. v

'I have found that a deflector plate I8 having a diameter of -five inches is satisfactory for a motor having a rotor 36 which is approximately three and a half inches in diameter, when the deflector plate I8 is provided with four substantially circular openings 2|, equally spaced around the rim III on the deflector plate I8, and each opening 2| having a diameter of approximately one eighth of an inch.

In Figs. 2 and 3, I have illustrated a modification of my invention. A deflector plate I8,

similar to that previously described, is used but the partition I3 is differently arranged. In this In order to return the leakage lubricant from the motor compartment II to the compressor compartment I2 I have provided the deflector plate I8 which is suitably secured to the shaft I4 for rotation therewith. If a flat disk is used' as a deflector plate, most of the fluid picked up by the deflector will be thrown off at approxif bricant to drain downwardly into the oil pocket or reservoir 22 provided in the bearing flange or partition I3. Hence, the rim III of the deflect ing plate I8 is preferably bent laterally or inwardly to form a lip portion 20 thereby establishing a recess or groove 58 on the inner side of deflector'plate I 8. I have also .provided a plurality of relatively small openings 2| at thebottom of groove 50 spaced at suitable intervals around the circumference of deflector plate I8:

Lubricant in the groove 58 cannot escape immediately because of the lip 20 and a large portion of the lubricant is still in the'groove 5ll as the openings 2| reach the upper portion .of the arc traversed by the edge of deflector I8. By properly proportioning the holes 2|,therefore,

the lubricant is expelled by centrifugal force through the holes or openings 2| at the top of the deflector. desired shape. Circular holes or open-ended slots extending to the edge of the lip 20 may be used, for example. 7

It is to be expected that not all of the lubricant will drain from the top wallinto the reservoir 22 so that the lubricant dropping back into the bottom of the motor compartment II will help to raise the level of lubricant therein. 33' making the deflector plate I8 of a sufliciently .large diameter, the level of lubricant within motor chamber II will not become high enough to enter the air gap between rotor 38 and stator 34.

While the groove 50 is shown concave in shape, that particular shape is not essential to my in- The openings 2| may be of any case a reservoir 22a is formed in the boss 23a of the partition I3 but wholly within the compressor compartment I2. Lubricant passages for conducting lubricant from the reservoir 22a to the shaft I4 are arranged in the same manner illustrated in Fig. 1. In order to collect the lubricant flowing down the partition I3 and return it to compressor compartment I2 I have provide'd inclined ribs 5| and 52 on the face presented toward the motor compartment II which cooperate with openings 53 and 54 through the partition I3 to return the lubricant to the reservoir 22a. While I have illustrated the use of two inclined ribs 5| and 52 and two openings 53 and 54, it will be understood that any number of ribs and openings may be provided;

While I have shown a particularembodiment of my invention I do not desire my invention to be limited to the particular construction shown and described and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination with a compressor of the type including a casing having a partition dividing said casing. intoa motor compartment and a compressor compartment, a motor in said motor compartment, a compressor in said compressor compartment, a bearing "for a rotating shaft in saidv partition, a rotating shaft in said bearing operatively connecting said motor and said compressor, and said partition having a lubricant passage for conducting lubricant from said compressor casing to said shaft, means including a rotatable deflector for returning to said compressor compartment lubricant which leaks through said bearing into said motor compartment, said deflector being constructed and arranged for hindering the expulsion of lubricant under centrifugal action, said means being provided with a pinrality of openings for the passage of said lubricant, said means and said openings cooperating to insure the expulsion of a substantial amount of lubricant against the upper portions of the walls of said motor compartment.

2. In combination with a compressor of the type including a casing having a partition dividing said casing into a motor compartment and a compressor compartment, 9. motor in said motor compartment, said motor having a rotor element and a stator element, a compressor in said compressor compartment, a bearing in said partition for a rotating shaft, a rotating shaft in said bearing operatively connecting said motor and said compressor and' said partition having a lubricant cant against the upper portions of the walls of said motorcompartment.

3. In combination with a compressor of the type including a casing having a partition dividing said casing intoa motor compartment and a compressor compartment, a motor in said motor compartment, a compressor in said compressor compartment, said partition having a bearing for a rotating shaft, a rotating shaft in said bearing operatively connecting said motor and said compressor and said partition having a lubricant passage for conducting lubricant from said compressor casing to said shaft, means including a rotatable deflector for returning to said compressor compartment lubricant which leaks through said bearing into said motor compartment, the rim of said deflector having a laterally extending lip, said lip having a plurality of open- .ings for the passage of said lubricant, said lip and said openings cooperating to hinder the escape of said lubricant by centrifugal action whereby a substantial amount of lubricant is thrown against the top wall of said motor compartment.

4. In combination, a casing having a partition dividingsaid casing into a motor compartment and a compressor compartment,- a motor in said motor compartment, a compressor in said compressor compartment, said partition having a bearing for a rotating shaft, a rotating shaft in said bearing operatively connecting said motor and said compressor, said partition having a lubricant passage for conducting lubricant from said compressor casing to said shaft, and means including a rotatable deflector for returning to said compressor compartment lubricant which leaks through said bearing into said motor compartment, said deflector being generally coneshaped and secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, a rim of said deflector having an :inturned flange and a plurality of-openings for the passage of said lubricant.

WILFRID E. JOHNSON. 

